A radio receiver that can search all receivable stations and automatically and sequentially store them in memory is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,400. As disclosed in the patent, the broadcasting stations are memorized in the order of increasing transmission frequency.
Italian patent no. 1.107.168 discloses a receiver equipped with broadcaster selection means and memory means. Furthermore, a user watching the receiver can manually memorize a certain number of received television broadcasters in an order desired by the user.
European patent application no. 0486988 discloses a selection and memorization device of radioelectric signals which comprises control means for automatically identifying sources of the signals and memorizing them in a certain order. Moreover, the device utilizes broadcaster identification signals which are inserted into the signals during the transmission of the radioelectric signals. For example, the broadcast identification signals may be inserted according to various norms such as the French DIDON ANTIOPE, the German V.P.S., or E.B.U. norms. Such norms insert the broadcaster identification signals in predetermined lines of the teletext signal.
Although the majority of the broadcasting stations insert an identification signal in the television signal, the stations have not agreed upon a standard norm for inserting the identification signal. For example, Germany utilizes the V.P.S. norm. However, Italy and other European countries do not use the V.P.S. norm but use various other E.B.U. norms.